A TOUCHING family tribute has been paid to Winstanley College student Ellen Higginbottom.

Eighteen-year-old Ellen was found dead at around 2.30am on Saturday morning at Orrell Water Park, hours after family reported her missing and a social media appeal had been launched to find her.

A post-mortem examination found that Ellen, who was from Salford, had died from severe neck injuries.

Paying tribute to Ellen, her family said: "We're supposed to start at the beginning but this is the news and we have neither space nor time. But equally, you can't just flip to page 647 of a person's life and know them.

“So, insights and anecdotes. It's 4am and the birds are singing like they did on Saturday morning at Orrell. Ellen would have liked it. She'd have still been messing on her phone though.

"We could tell you about how excited she was when we tentatively suggested she might want a kitchen mixer for her 18th birthday. Not clothes and make-up and jewellery for Ellen – not really her thing. Any top tips on how to preserve home-made flapjacks forever by the way?

"We could tell you how she had astonishingly reinvigorated her love of learning over the last few months after some difficult times. We could tell you that the last time we 'had words' was in 2001 when she jumped in a puddle after being told not to.

"But none of this makes sense because they're just yellow stripes highlighting the book of her life and you haven't read the rest of it."

A 47-year-old man from Billinge, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday and remains in custody for questioning.

Meanwhile, Mark Steven Buckley, 51, of New Hall Lane, Preston, has been charged with murder and will appear at Wigan Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

Last night a man and a woman, both aged 30, were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and remain in police custody for questioning. 

Ellen's death has been greeted with much sadness among Star readers on social media, with many students from the borough attending Winstanley College.


On the Star's Facebook page, Carrie Lowe wrote: "Absolutely awful what has happened. My son goes to this college and walks through this short (pathway) to go to college. It's so close to home, my prayers and thoughts are with all the family and friends at this very sad time".


Emma Bell added: "Heartbreaking. Another life taken far to soon. RIP angel and thoughts are with her poor family going through this nightmare".